Davis won for her portrayal of a mother determined to hold her family together despite the rages of her husband, who is played by best actor nominee Denzel Washington.

The Oscar win comes in a role that Davis previously won a Tony Award for when she starred opposite Washington in a Broadway revival of "Fences." The film is the first big-screen adaptation of an August Wilson play.

Davis said in her acceptance speech, "Here's to August Wilson who exhumed and exalted the ordinary people." She also praised Washington and her parents, breaking down in tears.

"What kind of stories do you wanna tell, Viola and I say 'exhume those bodies, tell those stories,'" she said.

She continued, "The stories of the big who dream big and never saw those dreams to fruition. People who fell in love and lost. I became an artist and thank God I did because we are the only profession that celebrates what it means to live a life."